Finding Home
by whiterose blackrose
Summary: Fleeing from captivity with her daughter and a strange football-sized rock, Talia finds herself living in a strangely well-kept apartment. Sooner rather than later, Black Widow and Captain America find her and take both her and her daughter to the newly established SHIELD. Why does Talia seem so familiar to both Steve and Natasha? 18 years after the graveyard scene in CATWS.
1. Chapter 1

They'd been out of the Facility for almost a year now. A year on the run; a year of just trying to survive. Thank God she hadn't been eating for two or breastfeeding anymore. That would have been a pain. The little girl wrapped tightly in her arms giggles as the clouds press dew into her cheeks. '_Have to get her better flying clothes,_' the young woman thinks when she notices how red the three-year-old's nose is.

"Mamma," the little girl squeals as her hands score the condensed liquid on either side of them. There are trails of the fresh water trailing down their faces, falling from their skin, and dampening their clothes. "Mamma, cold!" Her small body shivers from the cold but there is nothing she can do about it. The clouds give them cover; the civilians down on the ground can't see a flying kid. It might not be weird in some parts of the world, where they have the Avengers to protect then.

She has no one but herself and the wit the Facility imparted on her. Her training has kept them alive for a year, but winter is coming and even _she_ cannot protect them both.

They've been flying for hours now and the youngster is getting squirmy. Her muscles are cramping and there's too much water dragging her down. "Calm down," the young woman says before she bites her lip. She can't keep calling her daughter by her experiment assignment, and she needs to come up with a name for herself as well. For the past year, they'd been alone; they can't do that anymore. So she reaches deep inside her mind and choses a name, at least for herself. She'd seen the files of all of the Avengers, learned their strengths and their weaknesses. She'd taken a shining to the Black Widow; loved the stealth and sympathized with her backstory. Both trapped from a young age, forced to do what they needed to survive. And once it wasn't just her to care for her anymore, there was more at stake.

They've survived on less, but her daughter is getting bigger and needs more than the average human to stay alive. She needs a stable environment to grow up in.

"Mamma, land!" the little girl squeaks, pointing at what looked to be a large city. "Land! Land!" She tries, but the three-year-old can't really pronounce her 'l' yet so it sounds more like, "yand! Yand!"

Lighting down on a brownstone rooftop at the edge of the city, the young woman smiles.

Maybe, finally, they'll be free.

* * *

><p><em>Three weeks later…<em>

They've been living in an abandoned, set surprisingly beautifully furbished apartment. There's electricity and running water. And heat. Blessed heat. Snows been falling, making Elena squeal.

Yes, she's named her daughter Elena, meaning _light_ in Latin, which is what she is. The light in the eighteen-year-old's life. The young woman, herself, takes on the name Talia, which makes her feel close to the woman she admired back in her days at the Facility.

"Mamma, up," Elena demands as she reaches out her arms. Talia rolls and picks her up.

"You're getting so big, 'Lena," the scarlet haired woman grunts, pretending that the brunette in her is too heavy. The child squeals, giggling and grabbing at the front of her mother's shirt.

The clothes in the apartment don't really fit, and the men's shirts are like dresses on Elena, but they are _happy_. For the first time in Talia's life, there is no running. No killing. No hacking…

Well, the last one's a lie. She'd found a modern computer and, from there, had hacked into the Facility's files. Files on both her and her daughter, along with a Project called Firebreather, which has something to do with the rock she'd picked up. Apparently, it would be hatching into some sort of lizard any day now. She also learns that the scientists are following them. Trying and failing to track down the missing experiments.

So life went on. Until one day, the egg hatched.

* * *

><p>"Crack," Elena mumbles, poking at the strange football-shaped rock Talia had managed to steal. "Mama, look," she grabs the bottom of the large T-shirt her mom is wearing. It's got the Captain America shield on it and a big 'A' on the back. "Mommy, crack." She pokes at the rock again, watching with fascination as it began to rock back and forth.<p>

"'Lena," Talia grabs her daughter's arm; "'Lena, get back." She's read the files about Project Firebreather, about the prototype she'd stolen. The egg rocks back and forth, more cracks appearing on the surface. Elena tries to escape her mother's grasp to touch the strange shaking rock.

Suddenly, there's a loud pop and the egg breaks in half, spilling embryonic fluids onto the pristine wooden floor. Out falls a strange lizard-like creature with fiery red and orange scales, long orange whiskers, and bright azure eyes. It's about the size of a house cat, with lanky limbs, sprawled out around it.

"Mamma, pretty," Elena is straining against her mother's hold.

"Elena, let me it cleared up, first, okay," Talia instructs. She goes over to where the towels are kept and smiles. There are still some fluffy white linens, enough of them so that laundry isn't needed for a while. Grabbing an armload, the young woman sets them down by the creature, and goes to the kitchen to grab a large bowl of warm water.

"Let's get you cleaned up," she says softly to the creature, touching soft scales. At her touch, the small lizard looks up at her almost owlishly. It burps and a small flash of flame jets out, almost setting the nearby coffee table on fire. Elena giggles and walks over on unsteady let, trying to use her tiny wings to balance her out. Stating that she wants to help, she grabs a towel and looks at the lizard with determination.

* * *

><p>A month after the egg hatches, they have found yet another routine.<p>

Elena insists they name the dragon Zuko— "after the man who spits fire on the TV, Mommy." Elena loves having a pet, cuddle buddy, and someone else besides her mom to chase around the apartment. Talia teaches Zuko the basic pet commands, but adds a few of her own.

Everything seems to be perfect. Elena starts branching, leaping from one surface to another, testing out her wings/ Zuka has grown to be the size of a Great Dane and is only getting bigger.

Talia sighs and leans against the doorway, smiling tiredly. Elena is tucked under the covers of the bed, Zuko curled up beside her. They've become the best of friends in the short span of a few weeks; the lizard's telepathy helps a lot too.

He also tore up a large teddy bear stuffed under the bed, unearthing a plethora of cash. Apparently, he can smell money and rare gems. So it makes groceries so much easier now that they have money. And Talia can buy new clothes, and little toys for Elena, even some chew toys for Zuko. But the chew toys are nothing but charred plastic within a few days.

It's not perfect, but it's like nothing Talia has ever dreamed of for herself and for her daughter. They have a pet, a home, and money to sustain them.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Cap," Steve feels Natasha poke his shoulder. Having just gotten back from a mission, Captain America is kind enough to give the Black Widow a place to stay the night. It's been eighteen years since they took down the compromised S.H.I.E.L.D. and rebuilt a new one. With only the Avengers, Agent Maria Hill, and Nick Fury were in on this new version. Loki, Thor's trickster god of a brother, had even turned to the good side, playing for the Avengers and not against. Well, he still gets up to his usual tricks, but they aren't deadly they're funny.<p>

Ever since Fury paired them together, Steve and Natasha had been getting closer. Not exactly in a relationship, but as close as lovers could be, they hid their love life from their friends.

So it's kinda odd when Natasha pull on Steve's sleeve and points silently to the window of Steve's apartment facing them. "Someone's in the apartment." Unless it's an injured Fury or one of their friends planning a surprise party, there is no reason for the lights to be on. And then, Natasha notices a shadow pass by the window. "Steve, someone's in there."

Natasha and Steve don't need words to communicate. After so many years as partners, speech isn't really necessary. So when Steve motions for her to go in the front entrance, she nods and pulls out a gun, throwing him his shield.

It only takes Steve to scale a minute to scale the fire escape and open the window. He can see Natasha on the other side, glancing from him to the shadow in the corner of the room. Motioning for her to go forward, he leads the way into the hallway toward the master bedroom, where the only light is. Bursting into the room, Natasha raises her guns over the edge of Steve's shield when suddenly an unfamiliar voice cries, "Protect!"

**So this is my first venture in Avengers territory. The idea just struck me after watching Captain America: the Winter Soldier and I had to put pen to paper. Please review and tell me if you liked it. This chapter is unbeta'd and I already started writing the next one! Can't wait to hear what you guys have to say!**

**This is a Romangers story! You will see why in a few chapters.**


	2. Chapter 2

Talia has just put Elena to bed, Zuko curling up beside her like a heater, when she smells intruders. Due to her enhanced senses, she can both smell and hear them before they know that she does. One of the perks of being a mixture of human and predator genes. Quickly, she sneaks around the side of the bed to shake Zuko awake. The dragon grumbles through their empathic link, snorting a smoky breath into her face.

"Mamma wha'ss goin' on?" Elena asks as she wakes, smelling the smoke. "I thought it's bedtime."

"Elena, I need you to be very quiet," Talia says as she shushes her daughter. "There are bad people outside the door." She points to the door and then puts a finger to her lips. The little brunette nods, covering her mouth with both hands. Beside them, Zuko stiffens. He finally knows there's something wrong in the house, can feel the waves of unease rolling off of the scarlet haired woman. Hackles rising, teeth bared, fire at the ready, they wait.

The door cracks open and both Talia and Zuko snarl. "Protect!" the woman shouts just as two guns pop over the top of what looks like Captain America's shield.

Zuko roars and a stream of fire burst from his mouth, welling from the sulfur chambers hidden behind his lungs. It burns at temperatures hot enough to melt glass. Talia, while the two intruders are distracted, grabs the duffle bag stuffed with clothes, medicine, a blanket, and the rest of the money from the teddy bear. Elena clutches the back of her shirt, settling into the space between her wings.

Bullets are flying bouncing off Zuko's scales and imbedding themselves in the wall. Captain America's shield protects both people behind it from the fire.

"Zuko, come on!" Talia shouts as she rushes for the window, folding her wings around her body. Glass shatters as she pulls her daughter into her arms, pressing her face into her breast. Landing unsteadily on her feet, Talia opens her wings and glances over her shoulder. A flash of red hair is all she sees before Elena begins to cry, whimpering slightly. "It's alright, little dove, it's alright." As much as Talia tries to sooth her daughters, the whimpers keep coming.

'_Maybe there _is_ no for us,_' Talia thinks as her lungs burn and her wings work double-time to get them out of there faster. But the bullets are flying and just as the scarlet haired woman launches herself off of the building, a bullet pierces her shoulder, right near the bone plate of her wing. Letting out a cry of pain, she staggers and falls to the side. "Mamma!" Elena cries. Zuko grabs the young girl just as Talia is about to hit the ground. He wraps his wings around her and holds her to his belly, protecting her. Another bullet embeds itself into eh eighteen-year-old's thigh, making her fall to the ground. She knows Zuko isn't strong enough to carry Elena out of here, so she calls him over and enfolds both youngsters into her arms, wrapping her wings around them. She hopes that their assailants will at least have the decency to know when they've won.

"She's bleeding badly," a masculine voice says close to her ear. "We should call in the quintjet and get them to HQ."

"Just because it's a kid doesn't mean it won't fight back," an all too familiar voice snarls. "It could heal quickly, or just be pretending."

"But, Nat, she's just a kid," Elena's whimper interrupts them and Talia holds the girl tighter to her. "And she's got her own kid to think about." The masculine voice chuckles. "I bet Stark is gonna have a field day with them. Imagine the tests he's gonna come up with."

'_No more tests… please,_' Talia swallows the words back. She and her daughter are at the mercy of these people. Talia lifts one wing to look at the attackers. Zuko snarls again, flashing sharp teeth, smoke pouring from the side of his mouth. Blinking in surprise, she finds herself face to face with Captain America and Black Widow. If she wasn't hurt and fearing for her daughter's life, Talia would have been star struck.

However, her daughter interrupts her with another sad noise. "Mamma, why you red?" Looking from her idols from once upon a time to the only thing that matters in her life, her eyes well up. Elena's hands are becoming covered in blood as her tiny hands gently touch the spot where Talia has been shot.

"'Lena," she softly whispers as she reaches up with her good hand to pull the brunette's away. "Don't touch. Mommy's just got a booboo." Talia sways, beginning to feel dizzy. There are black spots sneaking into the corner of her vision.

"Nat, she's losing blood fast." Captain America kneels down beside Talia, making the young woman clutch the child tighter to her chest. The dragon growls again, as if daring the man to come closer. "We can question her once we get back to base." He reaches out gingerly, as if trying not to scare a wild beast. "We're sorry we hurt you. We're trained to react before thinking." Black Widow scoffs behind him, but the Captain's eyes remain focused on Talia. "We'll keep you safe. I promise."

Before Talia can answer, Elena points at the man and gives him the sternest look a three-year-old can give. She accuses in a stern squeaky voice, "You hurt my mamma!" There are tears in her eyes as she commands, "you fix her! Now!"

The red, white, and blue captain smiles. "Yes, little one, we can help your mamma." He slowly wraps his hand around the arm clutching Elena to her chest, keeping his eyes focused on Talia's sky blue eyes to silently reassure her that no harm will come to her daughter, Zuko tries to attack but the woman wraps her arms around his thick neck. Elena giggles as the man picks her up, poking the star I the center of his chest continuously.

"On your feet," the Black Widow is less careful with Talia now that her daughter is not in her arms, a gun oppressing to into her back. "Don't make any sudden moves. Once we get back to Base, you become our property until we can figure out what to do with you."

Talia bites her lip, watching as Captain America makes her daughter laugh. Zuko sends her feelings of comfort through the bond and she sends him the image of a hug. Looking bravely at the Black Widow, master assassin and spy, oceanic blue eyes meeting forest green, she says in a raspy monotonous tone, "Project Predator and Project Firebreather from the Facility." Her eyes sparkle. "Look it up. I can hack into it from your phone, if you like." The Black Widow growls.

"What are you?" the scarlet haired assassin asks, jade eyes wary. "Some kind of mech? A spy?" She makes Talia walk forward as she begins to interrogate the girl. "Zuko sticks close to the young girl, his snout pressing gently against her hip. "And what the hell is with the dragon?"

"I stole his egg when I escaped." The mutant puts her palm against the red lizard's head. "The scientists at the Facility were talking about using him against you…" Biting her lip, she fixes her statement. "No, the Avengers, the new SHIELD."

"Who did you hear? Who told you about that?" Captain America comes up on her other side, Elena sitting on his shoulders. "Hydra or another organization? No one should know of us."

"I don't know," Talia spits, gritting her teeth against the pain as she tries to cross her arms. "You think I cared to learn about the people who were trying to make me into a killing machine? All I know is that they made me do tests that would kill a normal human… apparently, neither of my parents were human either." Her eyes sparkled like blue fire. "I was tortured my whole life. I don't know who my parents are, or who Elena's sire is." Tears stream down her cheeks. It the first time she's cried since Elena was born. "I… they tried to kill me when I got out. If it hadn't been for the super-serum running through my blood, the three of us would have been dead in a ditch somewhere." Captain America and Black Widow exchange a look at the word serum, but they have more on their hands at the moment.

"Hey," the red, white, and blue hero put a hand on her uninjured shoulder, "we'll figure it out. You're not alone anymore. We'll help you."

"How can I trust you when there's a gun pointed at me," her eyes flick over her shoulder at the Black Widow. Captain America tilts his head at her and she lowers the gun, yet keeps it in her hand. Talia nods in thanks, her eyes wide, before she stumbles. Her body begins sag and Black Widow wraps an arm around her, grunting at the weight of the young girl and her wings. She puts the gun into the holster at her hip and tries to help the girl stand with two free hands.

"Mamma!" Talia can hear Elena screaming, but it sounds muffled, like it's underwater. "Mamma!" Blinking, she turns to reach wherever her daughter might be, but her body is weak and her hands grasp at air.

"Mamma!" is the last thing she hears before everything goes black.

**So, I haven't gotten any reviews, but that has not deterred me from writing. I already have an idea for how this story is going to go, but can you guess where Talia's lineage might derive from? Also, reviews would be really appreciated. I want to hear what you guys think. I'd really like to continue this story, and I will, but it's nice to see what people think. **

**Once we get to the new SHIELD, things will start to pick up. I have no idea how long this story is going to be, but I do now how the story is going to end. Natasha and Steve are not together, but by the end of the story they will be! Thank you for taking the time to read my story.**

**Also, a picture of what Talia (+wings) looks like in my profile!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

A stead beeping is the first thing Talia hears when she wakes up. The first thing she smells is the sterile environment. '_No!_' her brain screams. '_No!'_

Her eyes shoot open, meeting bright lights and a white ceiling. She sits up suddenly, moaning at the pain in her shoulder. Gritting her teeth through the pain, she pulls her legs over the side of the bed. The beeping is getting louder but she ignores it. '_Get Elena. Get Zuko. Get out!_' Her brain is screaming at her.

"Whoa," a loud masculine voice comes from the doorway. Captain America is standing there in civilian clothes: a dark leather jacket and blue jeans. He almost looks like he just stepped out of a catalogue. Elena is sleeping against his shoulder, covered in a jacket that looks suspiciously like the Black Widow's. "Kid, calm down. Everything is fine. You're safe here."

"I can't do this," Talia motions to the monitors and machines. "It's too much like…" The young woman trails off, swallowing the lump of fear in her throat.

"Okay," the man puts a calloused hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, I understand what you're going through. It was hard for me when I woke up in the 21st century. You're just getting flashbacks to the place you escaped from."

She swallows and nods. "Where's Zuko?"

"Who?" the hero looks at her in confusion. A snort of smoke emanates from the corner of the room. "Oh, the dragon." His eyes glitter with laughter. "Where'd you get that name?"

"It's the name of a character from a super old TV show Elena found one night. She wanted to name her dragon, and I quote, 'for the man that spits fire.'" Captain America laughs, his whole body shaking.

"So, how'd you come to be in my apartment," he questions while he takes a seat. "I didn't leave any of the windows open. And the security system was armed."

"I…um," she bites her lip, "I might have disarmed the system." She wiggles her fingers at the man. "There are the only tools I need."

Captain America lets out a bark of laughter, shaking his head, and Talia smiles. Maybe if she makes him laugh more, the tests they put her through might not be so harsh. Elena wiggles at the noise, but doesn't wake up.

"So, how'd you get your wings?" the hero asks, motioning to the dirt covered wings on her back. "They're like no bird I've ever seen before"

"I'm the only experiment that survived the Predator Project." She sits up and fiddles with the thin cloth blanket. "All of the others died during our fifth year of testing. The scientist say it was because of my genes." Talia rubs her wings nodes, feeling almost stretched. "My shoulder still hurts but, thanks to the serum, I can heal a bit faster and last a bit longer in combat."

"What kind of serum?" the red, white, and blue hero asks, tilting his head to the side.

"They did it to me when I was a baby, before even," she gestures with her hand to show how small she was. "Put it into my DNA when I was just a fertile egg. Put all the best parts of different predators, but the wings stuck." Talia lifts one wing. "I've got senses like you wouldn't believe. Not sure if Elena's got the same, but she got the wings." Tears fill her eyes as she looks at the little girl in Captain America's arms. "She just started branching."

The hero shoots her a confused look, but before he can respond, the Black Widow walks into the room. "Rogers, they need you downstairs for debriefing," her voice is stern, eyes hard. The Captain nods and, shooting a reassuring look at Talia, takes Elena with him.

"So," Talia looks up at her idol, who looks about ready to kill her, "are _you_ the one who's gonna give me the tests?"

The Widow's eyes soften slightly as she comes to sit beside the young woman. "Look, I know it's hard to trust SHIELD, and us, after all that's happened to you." She sighs. "But we need more info about who and what you are."

The door opens and a man in a purple short and khaki pants. Talia stiffens when she sees that he's wheeling a tray with needs and tubes and everything the redhead fears. Seeing her wide eyes, the man holds up his hands to placate her; "don't worry." His voice is calm, but her inner predator is shaking in fear. There's something, a beat under this man's skin.

"Stay away!" Talia presses her body against the headboard, scrambling to keep her distance.

"Bruce just wants to get you into the system so that we'll have a health chart to compare too when you become a part of our organization." She gestures to the door. "Elena is getting her vitals taken downstairs right now."

Talia's heart is beating against her ribcage like a trapped bird. "You can't do this…. Please!" The whole situation makes her think of the Facility of, of the cruelty that has been her life for the past eighteen years.

(Flashback)

"_Please, no more," Experiment 139 cries as she exits the maze yet again. Her wings are bound tightly to her back, the only thing covering her is a dirty hospital gown. Her hair sticks to her grimy and sweaty body. Her bare feet hurt from the blisters and welts from the burning wire floor._

"_Just one more test," a brown-eyed scientist tells her. "You've been doing beautifully, but you're timing on the last one was a little slow. So we need to do it again."_

"_But… I can't!" she pants, wincing as a female scientists takes her blood. There's someone on her other side listening to her heartbeat. "Please, can hear her crying." She's acutely aware of the fact that her daughter, at only six months old, is desperate for her mother. Experiment 139's breasts are heavy with milk, making her wish this torture could be over._

"_Just one more test," the same scientist reiterates, reminding her of a robot. He gives her a cup filled with nasty smelling fluids, but it makes her body hum with false energy, because it's filled with electrolytes and adrenaline. They give her five minutes between drinking and starting the maze again; it's just enough time for the chemicals to kick in._

_There's the loud noise as the maze shifts, creating new passageways and hidden walls for her to get through. Once each walls clicks into place, Experiment 139 is pushed into the maze._

_The young woman screams as the metal plates beneath her feet heat up. This testing that they're doing is it see how long, and how high, she can jump without the use of her wings. Inside the testing room, time is measured in the number of tortures they've tested her on. Each testing period ends, only for another to begin after a cycle of rest. Day and night don't exist within the Facility._

"_Please…" she pants as her wings strain against their bonds. She jumps again, almost hitting the electric net over the maze. "I can't…" Black dots dance across her vision as her muscles strain. "Please…" Tears stream down her cheeks, sizzling as they hit the heated floor._

_Experiment 139 can hear the cries of her daughter, can see the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel. The end of the maze is right there, and so is the scientist holding her daughter… but her legs give out from under her, the heated floor panels burning her skin, making her scream in pain._

"_You must complete the test," a robotic voice screeches somewhere in front of her. The Experiment screams again, the pain too much. "You must complete the test."_

"_Please, the Experiment 139 whispers as the darkness surrounds her, the last thing she hears is the sound of her daughter's cries_.

**Yay! A new chapter... for anyone that cares! I love how you guys are following my story, but I want to hear from you. What did you like? What should I change? Can you guys guess who Talia's parents are based on the little clues I've left?**

**If you don't feel like reviewing, I'm still going to continue this story. But it's nice to have people tell you what they like about your story. So tell me what your favorite part of the chapter was. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

(_Five months later…_)

"Alright, this is going to be a quick in-and-out mission," Fury says. "Captain America and the Black Widow will go in with Talia, our expert at the Facility layout. " He pulls something up on the holoscreen. It's a picture of a familiar face that shakes Talia to the core. "This is Henrick Zola, grandson of Arnim Zola, the prized scientist of Hydra. He's been trying to revive Hydra using those still faithful to the organization." There is a ringing in Talia's ears and all she can see is Fury's mouth moving. Sitting on either side of her are Steve and Natasha, who look focused on the mission. She watches as the heroes nod to Fury before he exits the room.

"Great, we better get you outfitted," Natasha says as she turns to Talia. Having only been at the new SHIELD HQ for five months, the young woman has yet to go on missions. For the first three months, it had been getting her acclimated and helping settle her into the Avengers Tower, previously Stark Tower. She'd gotten her own floor— between the Widow's and the Captain's floors— that she shared with Elena and Zuko. "Fury gave us a thirty minutes."

"Are you okay?" Steve asks her, watching as her eyes flit from the screen down to her hands.

The young redhead swallows nervously. "I…" she blanches, "he's the man I was created by. I was created to hunt the Avengers and kill them." Her whole body shakes with fear. "I… you have to lock me up. I'm a danger to everyone!"

Steve sends her a reassuring smile as he grabs her shaking hands in his much larger ones. "Look, we understand that this is going to be hard for you." He looks over her shoulder at Natasha. "I know Nat had a hard time when she had to adjust to being on the good side."

"While it lasted," Natasha cuts in. "Turns out Hydra had been living inside SHIELD for years." Steve glares at her when Talia shudders again.

"Even I had a hard time," the blond man tires to reel the young mutant back to him, not to the thoughts of her past. "I mean, I'm from the 40s. You can imagine how out of place I felt. But my team, especially Nat, helped me figure out my place in this new century."

"We can also use the things you know about the Facility, and Henrick himself, to stop him from doing any other experiments."

Okay," Talia finally smiles at them. She stands up, wipes the tears from her eyes, and goes over to where the holoscreen is still up. "Here." She types a few codes into the computer, bypasses a few firewalls, and enters the familiar database. She presses the map with her hand a throws the hologram into the center. "A map of the Facility."

"How?" Natasha asks. "Even Tony couldn't hack into their codes, and he can hack into the US government!"

"I've been inside the Facility for eighteen years," Talia answers. "A girl's gotta do something." When Steve and Natasha shoot her confused looks, she rolls her eyes. "They gave me a higher IQ, so at a young age they tested me. Made me hack old modems of SHIELD and Hydra." She flushes. "By the time I was ten, I'd hacked into an earlier model of your new system."

"So that was you!" the older redhead points to the young woman.

"Guilty," Talia holds her hands up. "At least you kicked me out before they got any information." She spins the map around, pointing out different places they could enter from every so often.

"Look, we should get suited up and get going," Steve says a little after they come up with a plan of attack. "The quinjet is ready to take us out."

"But what about Elena?" Talia asks, worry coloring her tone. "And Zuko?" She follows Natasha and Steve down the corridor, but her eyes are full of concern.

"Toruun and Piper are watching Elena," Natasha reassures the girl. "Zuko is sleeping up in Hawkeye's nest. They'll be fine. " They step into the room where all the Avengers keep their uniforms or special equipment.

"Wow," Talia whispers, eyes wide. "This is… amazing." She presses a hand to the glass holding Iron Man's suit. Another holds what looks like the carrier fold the Falcon's wings. She watches as Steve types in a code and does a thumbprint scan to open the glass case holding his own uniform. The Black Widow is already finished getting ready, already wearing her skin tight suit underneath. Talia watches as she fills the small inseams and pouches with knives and guns.

"Alright, Talia," Steve comes up behind her, setting his large hands on her shoulders. "We've had Tony and Bruce working on an outfit for you." The lights come up on a single glass case. It looks a little bit like the outfit for the Black Widow, but instead of being skin tight in the back, there's room to tuck her wings under the surface of the suit. There's no mask, but a pair of gloves with sharp looking extensions, almost like claws.

"This is amazing," Talia breathes presses her hands to the glass. "I… I thought I'd be fighting in street clothes. I mean, I'm not an agent, or anyone special."

"Every SHIELD agent is special including you." Steve gives her a warm smile, moving beside her to show her how to open the case. "I'll leave you ladies to it. Just meet me on the helideck." Natasha nods before she turns to a now shy Talia. "Welcome to the team, Talia"

"I wasn't always Talia, you know," the young redhead says as she slowly works herself out of her clothes. It's been a while since she's been forced to be nude in front of someone else. "I was just a number. Not even that significant. But the only one to survive the program. "She looks warily at the suit; once she puts it o, there is no going back, no escape.

"I was the only one to survive the Black Widow program," Natasha admits, hoping to keep Talia talking, "Why'd you choose Talia?"

As she pulls the suit up her body, her wings shifting to fit into their "container," she says, "Because I admired a woman who'd been in my situation. She survived, changed her name, and became stronger." She meets the older woman's eyes as she zips up the suit. "Natalia Romanova, the woman who shared my backstory, but her future was so much brighter than I thought mine could ever be."

The Russian spy doesn't say anything. Something inside her squeezes almost painfully. The situation remind her of so long ago, in Falcon's guest bedroom, when Steve told her that he actually trusted her to save his life. It was the first time the Black Widow had let herself feel emotions. From then on, they'd been greater partners, saving each other from danger.

Now there's a young woman, barely an adult, telling her that she's admired. That someone looks up to her. "I…" Her mouth opens and closes like a fish, but no words come out. Talia smiles and slips the boots on, wiggling her toes and laughing. She slips her wings through the holes in her suit, flapping them a few times; she's lifted a few feet off the ground.

"Okay, show-off, let's go," Natasha's heart feels lighter and it makes her a little more playful that she knows she should be. Talia, instead of putting her wings away, grabs the Black Widow's hand, lifting her up and flying her to the helipad.

"Well, that was fun," Steve's sitting on one side of the quinjet, a smile on his face. Natasha glares at him as she runs a thought through her windswept hair. Talia lands gracefully beside her, the smile on her face mimicking the Captain's. "You like flying Nat?"

"I'd rather fly the jet, thank you very much," she retorts, clipping herself into the pilot's seat. "Maybe you'd like to fly AirTalia instead of being in the jet."

"Hey!" Talia puts her hands on her hips. "I'm no one's airline." She looks the Captain up and down. "My wings might be strong enough to carry him… my arms on the other hand…" Her hands are still on her hips, her jade eyes sparkling, red hair looking like fire in the light from the window… it makes Steve think for a moment, that he's looking at a younger Natasha. With her wings folded, Talia loo could pass for the spy's younger sister. '_Or her daughter,_' the thought rises unbidden to the soldier's mind. He pales for a moment, clenching his fists. '_No,_' he shakes his head, '_she told me she can't. But… science…_'

**Thank you to VicsMalchak for reviewing this story. I'm so glad someone likes this story. So, I actually planned for this chapter to be longer, but I decided to split it into two parts. Thanks to everyone who followed/favorited, but I'd like to hear from you guys! Please don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

"You okay, Cap?" Talia sits down beside him. Her wings have been folded behind her, but she doesn't lean against the wall of the quinjet, instead she sits facing him leaning on her side.

"Yeah," he nods, patting her knee reassuringly, "just a little tired."

"Well, this mission will be fast since I know the ins-and-outs of the Facility." Looking across the space of the quinjet, she smiles sadly. "Most of the people inside the Facility are scientists. I don't know if they've been trained to shoot guns, but some of them are pretty good with Tasers and shock sticks." She rubs at her side.

"We'll be fine." Steve smiles.

"Guys, coming up on the target," Natasha's voice crackles through their earpieces. Talia stands up as thee Black Widow opens the back of the jet. "Let me land first, before you go running off, Talia."

"I can scout and see how—

"No, Talia," Steve's voice makes her stop. He's in full on Captain America mode, his command echoing through the jet. She knows he's the leader of the Avengers and now, seeing s she's a junior member of the team, he is her Captain too. Sometimes it's infuriating, being much older than the other junior members and still known as a junior agent. She watches as the Captain stands in front of the open end of the jet. "We need to figure out our plan of attack. Are there any other experiments we should look out for?"

"Metal Arm." Talia's eye look worried. "He's the strongest. They brought him in when I was younger, 180 months old." The young redhead bites her lip. "I think he might have been Elena's sire because she didn't get the brown hair and hazel eyes from me."

"What does he look like?" the red, white, and blue hero asks as the quinjet settles on the ground. Talia follows Captain America and the Black Widow out of the back of the jet, trying to find a way to answer his question.

"Cap, we've gotta go quickly," The Widow says as she looks at her phone. "There's security the way. They must have seen the jet."

"This way," Talia doesn't give them time to carve out a plan, leading the way. Her wings are unfurled and they lift her a few feet of the ground s she won't leave tracks. "There's about five of them." Her nose twitches. "And they _really_ need to shower." The two agents laugh.

Suddenly, five shapes leap out of the shadows. They look humanoid, but their skin is sallow and they aren't wearing clothes. Their skin looks rough, like reptilian scales, and blue patches mark them as distinct from their brethren.

"You hassss returned, Predator," one of the creatures, the one with the most blue, hisses. "We could ssssmell you." It takes a step forward and reaches for Talia with a sharp claw. The two heroes step forward, Steve with his shield raised and Natasha with guns trained on the creatures.

"What they hell are they?" the Captain barks, stepping forward just as the creature does.

"They're called Seekers," the winged girl answers. "Failed experiments that are changed into these reptilian creatures."

"We sssserve the Massster," the leader hisses again, claws and fangs dripping with acidic liquid. When drops fall from some of the creatures' mouths, the ground would hiss and small holes formed.

"Who is the master?" the Widow asks, pointing her gun at the creatures head.

"He issss the Masssster," the leader continues to hiss. Steve rolls his eyes and gives the signal. Natasha begins to fire bullet after bullet into the creatures. The Captain begins to battle the leader, whacking at the creature with his shield. While they are distracted, Talia sneaks off to infiltrate the building.

* * *

><p>""Okay, now what?" Natasha asks as she comes up beside Talia. The girl is hacking the system, reading the keyboard with her fingers. "Steve, is there anyone coming?" Their leader is standing just inside the door, keeping watch.<p>

"I've been able to read the keys," the younger redhead says. She sticks the SHIELD-drive into the socket, putting all of the files from the computer onto the drive. She'd seen some interesting file titles pop up on the screen before there is a beep. "It's done."

"Let's get out of here." The Black Widow motions to Steve that their mission is complete. He nods and picks up the rear as they quickly make their way to the quinjet in the forest. Talia falls behind, gazing over at what was once her prison. Natasha and Steve watch her before they exchange a smile.

""Come on Talia," Steve calls from the ramp, "we've gotta get back to SHIELD." The young redhead spreads her wings, getting ready to launch herself into the air and onto the ship, when something pulls her back, making her cry out in pain.

A man with dark eyes steps forward out of the shadows, his metal arm clutching a squirming Talia by the wings. He's looking right up at the quinjet, which is hovering above them with a shocked Steve and Natasha. Tightening his hold on her wings makes the girl struggles even more, tears in her eyes.

"Let me go!" she screams, reaching back to hit him, but hi hold is too light.

"You're not going anywhere, Little Dove."

**Okay, this chapter is definitely shorter than all of the other ones, but I wanted to end on a cliffhanger. The Seekers look kinda like a mix between a human and the Chitari from the first Avengers movie. Please don't forget to review and tell me what you thought!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Steve, it's—" Natasha's voice shakes as she grabs his arm.

"I know," he interrupts her. Staring up at them with malicious intent is his childhood friend, his metal arm holding Talia hostage. Her green eyes are shining with tears, looking up at the duo with a hint of pleading. "We've got to help her." He looks at Natasha with worried eyes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"No."

"Okay." Steve shrugs and jumps out of the jet, slamming his shield into the metal-armed soldier's face, making him lose his grip of the girl. "Go!" he shouts over his shoulder at Talia, spinning back around just in time to block another hit with his shield.

"I'm not leaving you!" the girl screams as she shakes her herself off, leaping into the air, and preforms a perfect roundhouse kick to the soldier's ribs. The steel inner lining of her boots makes the metal-armed solider wince, which gives Captain America time to bash him over the head with his shield. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Talia cries. "Kill him!" The winged girl is in the air again, ready to protect the captain.

Instead of listening to Talia, he kneels beside the unconscious man and picks him up. Noticing the horror in the young woman's eyes, he explains. "He used to be my best friend. We're gonna take him to SHIELD and get him back." Natasha is standing on the ramp of the now landed quinjet, a pair off indescribable handcuffs ready to be used. They put the man in cuffs and lay him on the floor. Talia is shaking near the entrance, watching the duo work with wide, scared eyes.

"He's got three broken ribs, and he'll have a hell of a concussion when he wakes up," Natasha informs the captain as she stares at the med-scanner.

"He'll be okay," Steve says, almost to himself as he brushes hair from his friend's closed eyes.

Talia stands off by herself, brushing her hands over her wings, checking for bruises or fractures. Some of her feathers on the left side are missing, but, all in all, she is intact.

The muscles in her shoulder that power her wings are strained, but it's not the most painful thing she's experienced.

The young redhead fingers the USB in one of the many hidden pockets in her suit. Once they get back to SHIELD, she'll hand over the fire and hide from Metal-Arm or, as the Seekers like to refer to him as, the Master. Hopefully, the Avengers will see how dangerous he is and confine him. On the other hand, they have accepted the trickster god Loki, into their group and he was the reason they built New New York after the famed battle.

"You alright?" Steve comes up behind her, looking down at her hand. Following his gaze, she notices that the fingernails of her empty hand have cut into her skin, creating little red crescents that are slowly beading with blood.

"I…" she looks up at him, biting into the soft flesh of her pink lips. "I guess being back just shook me up.

"I know what you mean," the Captain answers. Both of them look over at the unconscious solider, but for very different reasons. Her with fear, him with hopeful relief.

After what seems like forever, the quinjet lands back at the Avengers' Tower. Natasha helps Steve load Metal-Arm onto a stretcher and Steve calls out, "JARVIS, please tell Banner to prep the Isolation Chamber. Also, have the kids bring down Elena and Zuko to the den." The AI chirps a response and the trio set off to the IC, Steve pushing the stretcher.

On the way, Talia break off from their group, going to the lab Tony has allowed her access to. It's one of his hardly used labs with almost no equipment and nothing that can compromise the Avengers, should Talia turn on them, which she won't.

Locking herself in the lab, she plugs the USB n. The file she loads up first is her own. Something in the corner of the screen blinks.

_Lineage! Lineage! Lineage!_

Her hands tremble as she reaches for the mouse. Finally, she'll be able to see where she comes from. With the click of a button, she'll have a family… parents! Grandparents for Elena!

There's a distinct click of a mouse and Talia's part is splayed before her. Her parents are…

* * *

><p>"You think he'll be okay?" Steve asks, hovering over Bruce's shoulder. The quiet scientist glowers at the nervous hero, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.<p>

"Look, Captain, his physical state is fine." Bruce puts a reassuring hand on the man's shoulder. "His mental state, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about."

"We'll keep him in the Isolation Chamber until his mental state is better." Natasha comes up behind the red, white, and blue hero. "Don't worry, Cap, we'll help him heal."

Bruce smiles at the two of them, watching as Steve relaxes under Natasha's hold on him. How they haven't "officially" gotten together is a mystery to him. "You guys should go rest; I got him."

The redhead nods and pulls Steve behind her. He looks down at their intertwined hands, a small smile on his face. Natasha doesn't seem to notice, but the grip on his hand tightens just a little bit more. They walk into the common room to find Clint in the rafters fixing an arrow, Thor almost buried in Pop-Tart boxes, and Stark nowhere to be found. The younger, junior agents are munching on popcorn and watching Saturday morning cartoons. As the two agents make their way over to the breakfast bar, the theme song for _My Little Pony_ blasts through the speakers, making everyone but the three-year-old groan.

"She is cute," Thor mutters, "but I cannot take any more of those infernal singing ponies!" He takes another Pop-Tart and shoves it into his mouth, spewing crumbs everywhere.

"Father, I insist we change the channel!" one of the junior members, Toruun, complains from her lace next to Elena.

"Aw, come on," Francis rolls his eyes, "just let the kid watch one more episode. You can watch what you want next." The young teen pouts back at him but says nothing. Elena just giggles and pulls on her braid, waiting until she leans down to kiss her on the cheek. Ten-year-old Piper sticks her tongue out at Francis and goes back to watching.

"Where's Talia?" Steve asks, looking around.

"She's in her lab, Captain," JARVIS says. "She seems to be having some sort of… breakdown, sir." Steve nods and, followed by the Russian spy, makes his way down to the small lab Tony had graciously given to the newest agent. She's not a genius, but apparently, having things to fiddle with keep the girl busy.

Since the blond solider is the captain of the team, he has access to most of the floors and restricted areas. So as the two agents walk into the lab, they can hear sobbing in the corner. There's something on the screen but Steve is more concerned with the redhead crouching in the corner, knees pulled to her chin, hair hanging in front of her like a curtain. Natasha breaks away to investigate the screen. Her eyes widen when she sees what's there.

"Talia, what's wrong?" the red, white, and blue hero asks, putting a hand on her shoulder. Instead of getting a response, the man suddenly finds his arms full of the young woman. She clutches his shirt in her firsts and buries her face in his neck. "Um…" His eyes zoom in on Natasha's when he hears her gasp. "Nat, what the hell is on that screen?"

"Talia's lineage…" her eyes are full of tears. "Steve, her parents."

The girl in question squirms out of his hold and goes to stand in front of the screen. Her mind is still reeling from the information she's seen.

"So…" his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "If we read the file, we can find her parents." He looks between the two redheads, still confused. "Why do you look so shocked?" He aims the question at Natasha but Talia is the one who answers.

"Don't you get it?!" the smaller redhead shouts as she glares at him. It's almost makes him look he's seeing what could be a younger Natasha, but with the different colored eyes. The color of her eyes is the same as those that look back at him every day. His mouth opens and closes like a fish as a light bulb seems to go off in his head.

"You… Nat… what?" And for the first time since Natasha's known him, Captain America faint.

**Yet another chapter. So, obviously both Steve and Nat are shocked to find out who Talia's parents are. They also now have Bucky in their custody! Don't worry, he'll wake up soon and we'll see Talia face her fears while Steve faces his broken best friend. Please don't forget to check out my other stories and there's a poll going on for _I have Kissed Thee a Thousand Times_, the Romangers' Kiss Meme story. And don't forget to review this story either; I'd love to hear what you think. Can you guess who Talia's parents are... if it isn't obvious?**


	7. Chapter 7

"Um…" Talia blinks in shock, looking from the unconscious captain to the redhead beside her. "Is he going to be okay?"

Natasha reaches out a trembling hand and cups Steve's cheek. "I think he's just in shock." Her eyes are soft and tender as she cradles his face. She lifts her other hand and slaps his cheek gently. A little harder when he doesn't wake up. Steve shoots up, eyes scanning the room before he lands on the Russian spy's.

"Nat, you won't believe the dream I just had," he says, "but Talia was…" His voice trails off when he sees said girl sitting on her knees by his side, her eye wide with wonder.

"It wasn't a dream," the young mutant whispers. "It's true."

Before Steve can respond, JARVIS interrupts them. "Sir, I hate to interrupt this _touching_ moment, but Bruce has requested both the captain and Agent Romanoff in the medical ward."

"Thank you, JARVIS," Natasha speaks up. She helps the still shocked Captain to his feet. Talia stands to the side, still looking unsure of herself around the two senior agents.

"She's our…" The blonde's face is pale. Natasha, still in shock herself, just nods her head. She rests her head on his chest and closes her eyes, breathing in the smell of Army regulated soap, sandalwood, and the particular scent that seems to belong only to Steve. The Russian spy can feel his heart racing, but at her slow breathing, he seems to calm down.

"Come on," she says as she pulls on his arm. He follows her, smiling down at the small redhead that has captured his head. "Let's go see what Bruce needs us for." Talia pretends to gag loudly behind them, earning her a glare from the spy and a chuckle from the star-spangled hero.

* * *

><p>"He woke up," is the first thing Bruce says when they step onto the medical floor of the tower. He gestures to the one-waymirror of the isolation room which is the only room strong enough to hod the Hulk since Loki escaped the previous one in the Helicarrier.<p>

Steve watches with a tortured expression on his face, mouth pulled down into a frown as he watches his friend-turned-assassin thrashes inside the room. His eyes had been glazed with the calming drug Bruce pumped into his unconscious body. Now Winter looks like he's trying to fight the drugs, still wants to escape his prison. The flashes of his metal arm makes Talia shiver, but she swallows her fear as she looks to her captain.

"Let me out!" the Winter Solider howls. "When I get out of here, I will kill you! All of you!" As he says this, his eyes meet the blonde's through the partition, as if he can see through the mirror. Steve looks like he wants to go in there and calm his friend down, but he knows it won't be a good idea. Beside him, the spy looks shaken up, one hand clutching Steve's ad the other on the gun at her hip.

"I want to talk to him," Talia's voice shakes slightly as she steps forward, her wings flapping slightly. She looks to the blond hero when he tries to argue.

"That's not—"

"I know it's not safe." The mutant sighs and shakes her head. "But he doesn't remember you… if he was even your friend."

"You don't have to do this, Talia," Natasha puts a hand on the younger redhead's shoulder. She bites her lip. "We just found you. We can't lose you."

"And you _won't_ lose me." Talia puts her other hand on top of the spy's/ "I remember, back at the Facility, when I was able to sometimes break through to him. Maybe I can do that now."

"I won't risk it!" Steve argues. "Nat's right. You could be killed… easily. I won't lose anyone else."

"Fine." Talia crosses her arms and glares at the man. "Just don't risk yourself either. You're too important for that."

"So are you, Talia, he squeezes her shoulder, a warm smile on her face. "So are you."

* * *

><p>She sneaks back in after the rest of the tower is sleeping. So is Metal Arm, but he jumps up at the sound of the door opening. Talia knows is the most subdued just after waking, so she hopes that they can talk like they used to in between the times she he didn't remember her.<p>

What she hasn't told Steve is that sometimes, in between the memory wiping at the killings, Metal Arm was her only friend. They'd become close—share secrets, little jokes, and even flirty banter. Every time he was wiped, she'd lose her best friend to the darkness and hate, but he would always come back to her. He told her of the past her remembered, about his underdog friend Steve and how they both were in ta squad to once Steve became Captain American. He taught her how to defend herself against both himself and others, instead of just using instinct like the scientists wanted her to.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Talia gets herself back on track and walks up to where Metal-Arm is sitting up in bed, eyes glaring at the darkness. "Hello," she whispers, reaching out for the light switch. "Hello, Metal-Arm." She doesn't know if he's regained a bit of himself and she doesn't know how recently he's been wiped.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he snarls, blue eyes wide and searching. "Haven't you done enough damage?"

She stiffens, stealing herself. "Do you remember anything?" she asks, then shakes her head. She needs to ask him the secret question that he can only answer if he remembers. "If I have fifteen watermelons and eight hot dogs, how many pancakes will fit on the roof?" The question is completely nonsensical, but it is one the Facility scientists would never guess the answer to.

The brown haired man blinks for a second before a wide smile breaks out on his face. Both of their eyes sparkle with tears as he holds out his metal hand to take hers. "Purple," he whispers with a cracked voice, "because aliens don't wear hats."

Talia chuckles, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wraps her arms around him, making sure to put her head on his right shoulder so she won't short out his left arm. "I can't believe you remember," she breathes into his skin.

"You were acting like you were going to kill us."

He shrugs, a smirk on his face. "Had to keep up appearances. I remember them from when I was the winder solider. They didn't know that I haven't been wiped since a little after you left." He rubs her arm with his metal one, the cool touch soothing her. "You weren't around to "compromise" me, so they didn't feel the need to keep wiping me. So I started to remember."

"I'm glad you did." She sniffles, wings shifting to wrap around them both.

"I missed you , Little Dove," he whispers into her hair.

"I missed you too, Bucky."

**I'm so sorry this update has taken so long. I usually write everything out before I type up the chapter and post it. Please forgive me. Anyway, we just got a little more about Talia. The strange "secret" question is actually a funny way to describe how horrible math problems are! So, how'd you like the chapter? I wanted to add a little more of OC/Bucky, because they may or may not actually become a thing in this story. Keep reading to find out! Review and tell me what you thought.**


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